A HALF-century from Michael Vaughan helped England towards a promising first-innings score at tea on the first day of the final Test at Bangalore.

The Yorkshire batsmen, who went into the second interval unbeaten on 56, combined with Mark Ramprakash to lead the tourists to 176 for three.

They had been 93 for three after Javagal Srinath struck twice on his home ground to dismiss Marcus Trescothick and captain Nasser Hussain, while Mark Butcher perished to a run-out.

Hussain won the toss yet again, having overturned his coin-flipping fortunes at Ahmedabad after 10 straight Test losses, and chose to bat on a gloomy, overcast morning.

The England captain's positive call here may be crucial on a newly-laid Chinnaswamy Stadium wicket that is expected to provide considerable turn.

India named a third spinner, Sarandeep Singh, alongside Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble, searching for his 300th Test wicket and, like Srinath, on home, Karnataka turf.

But that trio's effect on the first day will be considerably less than on a worn pitch later in the match.

However, sole frontline seamer Srinath exploited the assistance on offer under the leaden sky - floodlights were employed throughout - to remove Trescothick.

England's vice-captain negotiated a testing third over of the morning in which he played and missed, looped a leading edge short of point and inside-edged to fine leg.

But in Srinath's fourth over and seventh of the innings, Trescothick dangled his bat at a delivery of extra bounce and edged to V.V.S Laxman, who held on at second slip.

Both Srinath and Indian captain Saurav Ganguly - taking the new ball with Tinu Yohannan omitted - beat the outside edge with regularity in the first hour and Butcher twice steered the latter past gully at waist height.

Butcher, with confidence high after two half-centuries in the drawn Ahmedabad Test, also executed a couple of classical drives to the boundary as he progressed to 20 not out.

At the other end, Hussain took up the early morning challenge by Srinath, hooking the experienced bowler for six and then using his feet to good effect when the spinners took over.

He and Butcher had put on 47 for the second wicket, however, when the Surrey left-hander drove straight to Rahul Dravid at cover and called for a run that Hussain declined and was comfortably run out.

Shortly after lunch Hussain followed for 43, as Srinath encouraged a nibble behind to Deep Dasgupta.

But Vaughan, who was handed another opportunity at Test level following Graham Thorpe's decision to return home eight days ago, looked in fine touch.

Driving with his customary elegance and tucking boundaries off his pads when the bowlers' line wandered, he brought up his third Test half-century from 93 balls, including seven fours.

Alongside him Ramprakash moved to 33 not out, but the Surrey player had survived a half-chance before he scored as a firm push at Harbhajan struck Laxman on the arm at silly mid-off.